ABSTRACT

Introduction: Metastasis results in more than 90% of cancer-related deaths globally. The process is thought to be facilitated by metastatic precursor cells, commonly termed circulating tumor cells (CTCs). CTCs can exist as single cells or cell clusters and travel through the lymphovasculature to distant organs where they can form overt metastasis.

Areas covered: Studies have highlighted that CTC clusters, which may be homotypic or heterotypic in composition, have a higher metastatic potential compared to single CTCs. The characterization of CTC clusters is becoming important as heterotypic clusters can provide a mechanism for immune evasion. This review summarizes the latest advances in CTC cluster-mediated metastasis and clinical significance.

Expert opinion: Comprehensive characterization of CTC clusters is needed to understand the cell types and interactions within clusters, in order to identify ways in which to reduce CTC cluster-mediated metastasis. The role of CTC clusters in prognosticating disease progression needs to be determined by documenting CTC clusters from the time of diagnosis over the course of therapy.

摘要

简介：转移导致全球超过 90% 的癌症相关死亡。该过程被认为是由转移性前体细胞促进的，通常称为循环肿瘤细胞 (CTC)。CTC 可以作为单个细胞或细胞簇存在，并通过淋巴管系统到达远处器官，在那里它们可以形成明显的转移。

涵盖的领域：研究强调，与单个 CTC 相比，CTC 簇在组成上可能是同型或异型的，具有更高的转移潜力。CTC 簇的特征变得越来越重要，因为异型簇可以提供一种免疫逃避机制。本综述总结了 CTC 簇介导的转移和临床意义的最新进展。

专家意见：需要全面表征 CTC 簇以了解细胞类型和簇内的相互作用，以确定减少 CTC 簇介导的转移的方法。CTC 簇在预测疾病进展中的作用需要通过从诊断时间到治疗过程记录 CTC 簇来确定。